Tent stake guard

ABSTRACT

A hollow, conically shaped plate which fastens about the stake and stake rope anchor section of a camper tent, so as to prevent both children and adults from injury caused by their walking inadvertently into, or tripping over, the tent stake. The unit may be fabricated of a plastic sheet or molding which is impregnated, or painted over, with fluorescent material. The device is in the general form of a slotted hollow conical section, with the slot permitting the device to be passed over the stake rope, when fastening to a tent stake. Means are provided for fastening an inside surface of the device to the tent stake, and the corresponding outer surface of the device is recessed to permit the stacking of several of these units, when stored.

United States Patent [191 Larson l l TENT STAKE GUARD [76] Inventor: Timothy William Larson, 41 W2 W.

Main, Freeport, Ill. 61032 [221 Filed: Oct. 3, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 294,683

u.s. Cl 135 15 PE 1 [5 ll Int. Cl. A45f 1/16 [58] Field of Search l35/l5 PE. 15 P0; 74/606,

Primary Exumim'rPcter M. Caun' Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howardl. Podcll 571 v ABSTRACTIQ' i A hollow, conically shaped plate which fastens abou [ll] 13,814,118 June4, l974 the stake and stake rope anchor section of a camper tent, so as to prevent both children and adults from injury caused by their walking inadvertently into. or tripping over, the tent stake. The unit may be fabricated of a plastic sheet or molding which is impregnated, or painted over, with fluorescent material.

The device is in the general form of a slotted hollow conical section, with the slot permitting the device to be passed over the stake rope, when fastening to a tent stake. Means are provided for fastening an inside surface of the device to the tent stake, and the corresponding outer surface of the device is recessed to permit the stacking of several of these units when stored.

' 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 TENT STAKE GUARD SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a guard device for shielding the stake of ajtent from passers-by and particularly to .a conical-shaped unit that is mounted about the tent BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is an elevationview of the device;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the device, with the device mounted about a tent stake; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the device mounted in an alternate fashion about a tent stake. 1

DESCRIPTION or THE PREFERRED 1 EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawings, inwhich similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1-4 illustrate the stake guard device which may be formed of a skin 11 of soft plastic material in the shape of a hollow frustrum of a truncated cone, with a slot 12 running axially along one side of the device, so as to permit the stake guard 10 to be mounted about a tent stake 21 to which a tent rope 22 is fastened, as shown in FIG. 4.

The interior of the device is fitted at one lower section with reinforcements l8 adjoining a pair of slots 14 in the skin 11. Slots 14 permit a belt 19 to pass through said slots 14, and about the reinforcements 18, so as to tie about a tent stake 21 as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. A pair of curved clamping fingers 16 are mounted directly above the reinforcements 18 near the top edge 17 of the device, so as to fasten about a tent rope 22 which may be anchored to the tent stake 21.

Theouter surface of the device 10 is grooved with an externalaxial recess which is shaped and located so as to receive the internal protrusions of the reinforcements l8 and rope clamps 16 of a second stake guard 10 which may be stacked over the device in the storage 2 mode.

As shown in FIG. 4, the device may be employed about a tent stake 21 which rises considerably above the ground level 25 and about the attached stake rope 21 which wraps about the stake 21 and passes through the axial slot 12 of the stake guard. Alternately, as shown in FIG. 5, the device may be employed about a tent stake 21 which rises just above the ground level 25, with the attached stake rope 22 rising vertically through the clamp fingers 16 of the device.

When fastened as shown in either FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 to a tent stake 21, the device 10 serves as a visual warning to protect against a passerby tripping over the stake rope orthe stake itself. The use of a plastic or rubber compound as the base material further acts as a safeguard against injury to a passerby who accidentally. rubs against the device.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, such modifications being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described the invention, whatl claim as slot which runs from the top edge to the bottom edge of the member, and means to fasten a strap to the inside face of the member so as to strap the inside face of the member to a tent stake. 4 2. The combination as recited in claim 1 together with slotted clamping means on the inside face of the member so as to clamp the inside face of the member to a rope which may be fastened to the tent stake to which the member is fastened.

3. The combination as'recited in claim 2 together with recesses formed in the external face' of the memsurface of which is coated with a light reflective substance.

5. The combination as recited in claim 3 which is formed of a plastic "material which incorporates material. of fluorescent-producing properties.

6. The combination as recited in claim 3, the outer surface of which is coated with a fluorescent substance. 

1. A guard device for shielding a tent stake and attached stake anchor rope so as to prevent injury to a passerby who might otherwise walk into, or trip over the stake or stake rope, said guard device calling visual attention to the attached tent stake or stake anchor rope, comprising a hollow conical member formed of a plastic composition which is adaptable for fitting over a tent stake, said member being formed with a continuous slot which runs from the top edge to the bottom edge of the member, and means to fasten a strap to the inside face of the member so as to strap the inside face of the member to a tent stake.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1 together with slotted clamping means on the inside face of the member so as to clamp the inside face of the member to a rope which may be fastened to the tent stake to which the member is fastened.
 3. The combination as recited in claim 2 together with recesses formed in the external face of the member, said recesses being of a size and shape to fit about the internal protrusions of a similarly shaped device which is stacked about the described device.
 4. The combination as recited in claim 3, the outer surface of which is coated with a light reflective substance.
 5. The combination as recited in claim 3 which is formed of a plastic material which incorporates material of fluorescent-producing properties.
 6. The combination as recited in claim 3, the outer surface of which is coated with a fluorescent substance. 